Autoclave



Oct. 18, 1966 R. o. E. MARIO-r 3,279,092

AuTocLAvE Filed Dec. 31. 1963 United States Patent C) 2 Claims. (C1. 34-1so) The present invention relates to autoclaves for treating asbestos-cement sheets and the like, in which it is of utility or essential Ito facilitate the free circulation of a fluid and the propagation of heat between the sheets, for example accelerated maturing treatments.

In present-day manufacture, the sheets to be treated in an autoclave issue from the forming machines in the soft state and are insuiciently stiff to be placed on edge in the autoclave in the desired manner so as to obtain, firstly, a good penetration of steam, and consequently heat, in the centre of the stacks of sheets and, secondly, a downward ow of the water of condensation and consequently a uniform washing and colour of the sheets.

In the known method, the sheets issuing in the fresh condition from the forming machines undergo a prior maturing treatment in an oven or in free air so that they become sufficiently rigid for handling purposes. When this semi-rigid state is obtained, the sheets are stacked flat on specially shaped plates and tilted from the horizontal yto the vertical position by tilting devices. There are as many tilting operations as there are plates. After tilting, the plates-whose special shape permits handling the sheets both on edge and in the fiat position-are placed on carriages which are pnt into -the autoclave. After treatment in the latter, the carriages are withdrawn and each plate is once more tilted so as to put the sheets in their horizontal position. As each autoclave can contain a plurality of carriages (there are for example sixteen to twenty-five carriages in an autoclave fifty meters long) and each carriage carries a plate and a stack of sheets, the tilting of the stacks of sheets within the autoclave requires a great number of successive operations both before putting the carriages into the autoclave and after withdrawal of the carriages therefrom.

Further, owing to lthe special shape of the plates carrying the sheets and their overall size, rthe autoclave must have a diameter exceeding that which would be suilicient for the dimensions of the treated sheets.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved autoclave of small diameter which dispenses with the numerous aforementioned handling operations and in which the specially shaped plates and the tilting device are eliminated.

The autoclave according to the invention comprises, externally, at least two peripheral rolling rings mounted on support rollers and a toothed sector subtending an angle at the centre of 90 for rotating the autoclave by means of a motor speed-reducing unit and a gear pinion, and, internally, supports for maintaining the carriage and the sheets in position both in a horizontal position and on edge, the passage from one position to the other resulting from the rotation of the autoclave caused by the rolling of the rings on -the support rollers.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description, with reference to the accompanying drawing to which the invention is in no way limited.

3,279,092 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 ICC FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG., 2 of the autoclave after it has been rotated through In the illustrated embodiment, the autclave A cornprises, in the known manner, a cylindrical container having an axis X-X, an outwardly `convex end wall and a convex cover 1. The container comprises a -steam inlet piping capable of being connected to a source of steam by a iiexible or rotating coupling (not shown), air draining piping and condensed water draining piping and all the usual, safety, measuring and control devices.

According to the invention the autoclave comprises, externally, means for rotating the container through 90 about its axis X-X and, internally, guide and rsupport means for maintaining the contents of the autoclave in equilibrium in the horizontal position and in -the upright on-edge position.

As concerns the external rotating means, the autoclave comprises two rolling rings xed to its cylindrical container. Each ring is carried by a pair of rollers 3 mounted in bearings 4. T o permit the longitudinal expansion of the whole of 4the autoclave, these bearings are mounted on rollers 5 which enable them to move slightly in a direction parallel with the axis X-X of the autoclave when the latter expands. Also secured to Ithe outside of the autoclave is a toothed sector 6 which subtends an angle at the centre which is slightly greater than 90. A gear pinion 7, driven in rotation by a motor-speed reducing unit M, is meshed with this sector.

With regard to the internal guide and support means, the autoclave A comprises a pair of longitudinal rails 8 (FIG. 2) which serve as runways for carriages 9 carrying metal plates 10 whose top faces support stacked asbestos-cement sheets. The rail 8 that is located adjacent the sector 6 is completed by an upper counter-rail 11 having an L-shaped cross-section and adapted to retain the carriages 9 in the on-edge position (FIG. 3). Opposite this runway there is secured internally to the cylindrical wall of the autoclave a continuous longitudinal abutment 12 which is roughly contained in a plane of symmetry S of the runway constituted by the rails 8. Finally, the following are also secured to the inner face of the cylindrical cavity of the autoclave in planes parallel with said plane of symmetry on the opposite side of this plane relative to the counter-rail 11: a plane longitudinal support 13 for the edges of the stacked sheets P, a longitudinal block 14 for the edges of the plates 10 supporting the stacks of sheets, and a longitudinal block 15 for the edges of the carriages 9. The longitudinal blocks 14 and 15 can be Vformed by beams. The autoclave operates in the following manner:

For inserting Ithe sheets in the autoclave, the latter is stopped in the position shown in FIG. 2, the runway formed by the rails 8 being horizontal and the plane of symmetry S vertical. With the cover 1 removed, the carriages 9 are rolled one after the other along the runway C in the extension of the rails 8 and introduced into the autoclave by a pushing device until the first carriage reaches the inner end of the autoclave. The cover 1 is then closed. A slight clearance then exists between the top of the stacks of sheets P and the upper abutment 12 owing to the limited height of the stacks of sheets on the carriages 9. The height of Ithese stacks can be such that the clearance between the top sheet and the abutment 12 be l-l0% of the height of the stack.

To move the autoclave to the sheet treating position, the motor-speed reducing unit M, which was initially inoperative, is started up so as to rotate the autoclave in the direction of arrow f (FIG. 2) and bring the support 13 of the edges of the sheets to a horizontal position after rotation lthrough 90 (FIG. 3). In the course of this rotation, the carriages 9 are held by the rails 8 and counter-rail 11 and bear by their edges against the block to the provision of the aforementioned clearance between the abutment12 and the top of the stacks. The motorspeed reducing unit M is stopped when the autoclave reaches position shown in FIG. 3. Steam is then let into the autoclave under pressure for a suitable period of time for treating the sheets P.

After treatment, the autoclave is drained and the motorspeed reducing unit M is once more started up, but in the opposite direction,` so as to rotate the autoclave in the opposite direction to arrow f and bring the carriages and the sheets to a horizontal position for their withdrawal. At the end of a quarter of a revolution operation of the unit M is stopped. The carriages 9 are then in their initial position as shown in FIG. 2, in which they carry the sheets in the horizontal position. The cover 1 isopened and the carriages 9 are withdrawn by an extracting device. All the carriages 9 carrying the stacks of asbestoscement sheets are turned through a quarter of a revolution in one operation owing to the fact that the autoclave also performs the function of a tilting device and this constitutes an appreciable saving in time.

Owing to the longitudinal abutment 12 and the support 13 and the blocks 14 and 15, the assembly comprising the carriages 9, and the plates andthe stacks of sheets P introduced into the autoclave, remains in stable equi- Y librium during the rotation in the direction of arrow f and in the opposite direction and also in the position shown in FIG. 3.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described,` many modifications and changes may be made` therein without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.A

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An autoclave for containing carriages carrying sheets of material to be dried, said autoclave comprising a body having an axis, at least two external peripheral rolling rings, support means, support rollers rotatably mounted on `the support means and rotatably supporting the rolling rings, a toothed quadrant mounted on the body, a motorspeed reducing unit having an `output shaft and a gear pinion secured to the shaft and engaged with the quadrant for rotating the body about said axis, supports mounted within the body for maintaining in equilibrium the carriages and the Sheets carried thereby Whether the .Sheets are in a horizontal position or disposed on edge, the passage from the horizontal position to the on-edge position of the sheets being obtained by rotation ofthe body i about said axis by said unit, said supports comprising a runway including two parallel rails which are secured to the body and are in symmetrical relation relative to a diametral plane of the body, a counter-rail secured to the body above that one ofthe rails which assumes the uppeyr-A t most position when the sheets are in their on-edge position, a longitudinally extending` abutment provided on the body on the opposite side of said axis to said rails substantially in said diametral plane, a longitudinally ex-` tending plane support secured to the body and `longitudinally extending blocks fixed to the body and disposed between said runwayfand said -abutment on the side;` of

said diametral plane opposite to said counter-rail.

'2. Apparatusfor drying sheets of material comprising a hollow body having a longitudinal axis and rotatable;

about said axis on a support, driving means operatively connected to the body for rotating the body about said axis4 between a rst position and a second position,a runway secured inside the Vbody and extending longitudinally of the body, carriage means'having a support'face, antun-` attached stack of said sheets freely 4restingon the support face, the support face being substantially horizontalin said first position of the body and substantially vertical `in said second position of the body, the carriage meansbeing mounted on the runway to be `movable longitudinally therealong, retaining means cooperative withV the carriage means for preventing the carriage means from coming away from the runway in said second position of the` body, abutment means iixed relative to the body` onthe opposite side of said axis to the runway for supportingin said second position of the body the end sheet ofV said;

stack remote from the supportface, the distance between the abutment means and the support face being such that the sheets are free to moveapart from each otherza `suiicient extent to expose the faces of the sheets directly to the atmosphere within the body, and substantially plane 1 support means for supporting the bottom edges ofthe 1 sheets in said second position of the body, the support means being substantially perpendicular to said support face in said second position of the body.

References Cited `by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 218,624 8/ 1879 Grimshaw 21-62 X 419,798 1/ 1890 Sampson 34-201 X` I 1,048,102 12/1912` Sampson E34-16.5 X` 2,265,556 12/ 1941 Vanderwerp 263-33 X` FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner, C. R, REMKE, Assistant Examiner, 

2. APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHEETS OF MATERIAL COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS ON A SUPPORT, DRIVING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE BODY FOR ROTATING THE BODY ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION, A RUNWAY SECURED INSIDE THE BODY AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BODY, CARRIAGE MEANS HAVING A SUPPORT FACE, AN UNATTACHED STACK OF SAID SHEETS FREELY RESTING ON THE SUPPORT FACE, THE SUPPORT FACE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL IN SAID FIRST POSITION OF THE BODY AND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL IN SAID SECOND POSITION OF THE BODY, THE CARRIAGE MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON THE RUNWAY TO BE MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONE, RETAINING MEANS COOPERATIVE WITH THE CARRIAGE MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE CARRIAGE MEANS FROM COMING AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY IN SAID SECOND POSITION OF THE 